Gelid Seclude
by Alug-Andaaz-Hai
Summary: Tonight, everything was only for him. pre-slash DracoRon. One-sided.


**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _and anything affiliated with it IS NOT MINE!

**A/N: **I'm still working on my other story but I just randomly started writing this, and well...here it is. It COULD be considered a prequel, I suppose. Please review? :) Sorry for possible lameness, cliches, etc.

**WARNING: **Already said so in the summary, but I'll say it again--SLASHY-ness! Not much, but still there! Fluffy...ish If you don't like, then don't read. Sorry. :(

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It really was a magnificent sight.

The tree's leaves were a pale blue which suited the stark white world. The snow had come suddenly and the leaves had yet to fall. They still held on to the frozen branches stubbornly; no intent of cascading to the distant ground.

Draco Malfoy hardly moved at all. Slumped against his tree, he could have easily been mistaken for some kind of exquisite ice sculpture. The tips of his eyelashes were frozen and his breaths ghosted out of him in a gauzy mist. He didn't shiver. His cheeks weren't even flushed—besides the occasional blink, there was nothing to give away the fact he was actually alive. He wasn't cold. In fact, he was currently engulfed in pleasant warmth.

He was watching his flame. Fire personified—with him so near, all iciness would melt.

There were more stars out tonight than Draco had ever seen. They must have also come out to watch the boy. They peered out from behind the clouds in curiosity.

Ron Weasley whooped and laughed as he whirled and flipped in the air. He held onto his broom with one hand as he circled the Quidditch field again and again. He was having these midnight outings more and more often—anyone who watched him as close as Draco would know about them. He suspected the boy simply needed time to be alone. Time for himself. Being the sixth son he _never _had something that was only his—except this. This was all his—this night, this chill, this glittering snow, these stars…and this secret watcher.

The moon was his magnificent, cosmic spotlight and the stars were his cheering spectators. Tonight, everything was only for him.

As Ron completed another lap he stopped and hovered in the middle of the field to gaze upon his serene world. He smiled in a kind of happiness only he could understand.

Even from his distance Draco could see his cheeks flushed in cold, his hair dishevelled, his robes windswept and his eyes gleaming with mirth. The moonlight made him glow like something unearthly.

Yes, it truly was a magnificent sight.

Ron began making lazy circles on his broom. His head was tilted up, his face in some sort of awed expression. It was silent for a few minutes before both Ron and Draco's contended sighs broke through the chilled air.

Even if it all went away, in his mind it would always be like this. The same stars, the same trees…Even though Ron wasn't aware of his presence, without Draco, this world would be different somehow. Because, Draco had always been there. Silent and unnoticed but still very much apart of this.

Draco was sure if he stopped following Ron out here, Ron would sense something. Something missing. He would never know what it was but be aware that its absence ruined the perfection of this world.

However small it may be, Draco was a part of Ron's most meaningful seclude.

His silver eyes never left the fiery figure that had started to do all sorts of tricks after his brief rest. He dove and dived and flipped. He moved so fast, Draco's eyes almost couldn't keep up. It was most impressive—why couldn't he fly like that in a real game? His movements were spontaneous but still seemed to posses an elfin grace.

Ron's laugh pierced the night. He dove toward the ground at a ferocious speed and just before what would be a bone smashing impact, he pulled back up.

Draco decided he could take a chance and disturb the balance of this world. He could enhance this night.

He pulled out his wand and gently whispered a charm. Fireflies erupted from its tip. They flew in front of Draco for a moment, casting their warm light on the few limited areas around them.

The sparkling beings took off with impressive speed towards the flying redhead. Their sudden appearance from nowhere caught Ron off guard and he hovered as they circled him. They began spinning around him in some sort of dance. Ron lifted an arm and they swirled around it up to the tips of his fingertips before rejoining the others in their dance. Ron was successfully mystified.

Draco parted his lips to breathe the word _beautiful. _

Ron smiled at his new companions before soaring off again. They followed him, so he gave off what looked like a trail of sparks wherever he went.

Ron did an impressive little move that involved several flips and rolls. "And the crowd goes wild!" he yelled happily.

Draco smiled.

Ron reached out his hands, catching fireflies and releasing them (just for the hell of it) with speed any Seeker would envy.

His eyes fixed onto the dark, shimmering oblivion above him. He impatiently pushed long locks of red-gold hair of his eyes, not wanting his view obstructed. He quirked a little smile before rushing towards the moon.

After all, if there was one place on earth from where you could touch the stars, it was Hogworts.

His grip on the broom handle was deadly but the weather had frozen the hilt. His hand slipped forward and his fingers scraped against the icicles hanging from it, drawing blood. The pain wasn't that bad but in the shock he yelped and pulled his hand off.

Due to this lack of judgement he fell off the broom entirely. He waved his arms desperately trying to get a hold of the broom but his traitorous hands kept slipping. The scream froze in his throat and all he managed was a surprised "Oh," as he plunged towards the whiteness below. Wide eyes reflected the dizzying view of sky and ground tumbling together.

Draco's mind went dark.

The fireflies were all under him now, in some pathetic and desperate attempt to lift him up or break his fall. It looked like a glowing blanket wrapping around him.

In a moment of panic, Draco's heart stopped. Before his mind could fully register what was happening, his wand was aimed at the falling figure. _"__Wingardium Leviosa__," _he managed to whisper in a surprisingly calm voice.

Ron felt himself stop in midair as if the sky had caught him. _Oh Merlin, I'm dead. _He dared to open an eye. Everything was the same…what kind of unimaginative afterlife was this?

And why was he…floating?

Ron hovered a good thirty feet in the air. Draco began to slowly lower his wand and as he did, Ron came down with it.

The redhead's eyes widened in astonishment and confusion. When his feet touched the ground, Draco's breathing resumed its normal rhythm. Ron's mouth was hanging open. He looked around for a potential saviour but his view of Draco was obstructed by the shadows.

"Ron!"

Draco turned to see a familiar raven-haired wizard walking towards the pitch. As a force of habit, Draco scowled in his direction although he was aware he couldn't be seen.

"Ron, what are you doing out here—it's freezing!" To make his point he rubbed his gloved hands together. At Ron's awestruck look he furrowed his brow, not sure what to say. "Er…you weren't in bed, so I went looking…"

Ron realised his mouth was still open and snapped it shut. "Harry…did you do that?"

The baffled look on Harry's face deepened. "…Do what…?"

Ron stared at him in disbelief for a moment before grinning and clapping an hand on his shoulder. "Oh, you know what. Sometimes I get carried away… Just…thanks, mate."

Harry gave a puzzled little nod of his head but also smiled. "Um…you're welcome."

Draco noted Ron's hand was still on Harry's shoulder and Harry had made no move to remove it. His chest tightened painfully.

"Come on," Harry said, "let's get inside before we freeze to death."

"Alright, hold on." Ron _accio-_ed his broom. "Let's go."

"Hey…Ron? This might sound strange, but…I think those fireflies are following you."

Ron laughed. "You know, I think you may be right." As they walked towards the castle Draco noticed Harry's hand had somehow found its way to the small of Ron's back.

He shivered. Suddenly, Draco felt very cold.

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End file.
